Sleeping pavilions, Maine State Sanatorium, Hebron, ca. 1909

Interior and exterior sleeping pavilions for tuberculosis patients at the Maine State Sanatorium in Hebron.

Dr. Estes Nichols, the medical superintendent and founder of the sanatorium, believed that the cure for tuberculosis lay in fresh, cold air day and night, diet and rest. Patients slept outside, wrapped in blankets or fur coats, or inside, where the doors were left open to allow plenty of fresh air.

The images are from a promotional brochure the hospital used to raised money and support.